ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia state labor officials say the number of laid-off workers filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits was down by 3.4 percent in September.

Officials say the last time initial claims were below that level was in September 2007.

State labor officials say 34,293 laid-off workers filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in September, down from August when 35,503 claims were filed.

The Georgia Department of Labor announced the numbers early Thursday.

Typically, the state agency also releases Georgia's new unemployment rate during this time of the month. However, that data wasn't released because it requires approval from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, where employees have been furloughed due to the government shutdown.

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